Shakespeare in Performance: Film
Hamlet (1953, Albert McCleery)
| Title | Hamlet |
|---|---|
| Year | 1953 |
| Release Locations | USA |
| Director | Albert McCleery |
| Medium | Black & white video |
| Languages | English |
| Audience | general public |
| Play Connections | Hamlet (abridgment) |
| Series | Hallmark Hall of Fame |
Description
One of ten Hallmark Hall of Fame productions devoted to Shakespeare (see also numbers 126, 305, 309, 484, 593, 594, 613, and 649). Joyce Hall, the Kansas City greeting card tycoon, generously supported these unique contributions to American culture. According to Alice Griffin this "two-hour" production of Hamlet, which appropriately appeared on the anniversary of Shakespeare's christening, was "the longest drama ever done on American television." Playing time was, however, more like 90 minutes, so that one infers the commercials must have been especially intrusive. Maurice Evans brought impressive credentials to this television version. Throughout WWII as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, his assignment had been to bring his "GI Hamlet" to the troops. He had also played Hamlet on Broadway
Description from Shakespeare on Screen : an International Filmography and Videography by Kenneth S. Rothwell and Annabelle Henkin Melzer. ©1990 Kenneth S. Rothwell. Cited by permission. — Added 2008-11-14
Cast Overview
| Horatio | Wesley Addy |
|---|---|
| Gertrude | Ruth Chatterton |
| Ophelia | Sarah Churchill |
| Hamlet | Maurice Evans |
| Polonius | Barry Jones |
| Ghost | Malcolm Keen |
| Claudius | Joseph Schildkraut |
| Laertes | William Smithers |
Production Team and Crew Overview
| Director | Albert McCleery |
|---|---|
| Director | George Schaefer |
| Producer | George Schaefer |
| Adaptor/Translator | Mildred Freed Alberg |
| Adaptor/Translator | Tom Sand |
| Production | Richard Sylbert |
Production information courtesy of: Kenneth Rothwell